Golf club and ball carrier



Aug. 30, 1960 1.. D. OLINGHOUSE GOLF CLUB AND BALL CARRIER Filed Jar x.2, 1959 slim INVENTOR. Lamsu Z7. az/lva/ausr,

United States Patent GOLF CLUB AND BALL CARRIER Lowell D. Olinghouse,927' Devon St, Indianapolis, Ind. Filed Jan. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 734,773

4 Claims. (Cl. ISO-1.5)-

This invention relates generally to golf club and ball carriers and inparticular to a carrier of this type adapted to be attached toconventional golf carts.

A conventional form of golf cart is comprised essentially of a centralpost having an inclined upper portion at the end of which a rubber handgrip may be suitably positioned. A foldable wheel structure is hinged tothe central post, the hinged mounting for the wheels permitting foldingof the carrier into a relatively small space. Conventionally, a golf bagis secured to the post, the bag holding the clubs, balls and tees.

The present invention is embodied in an assembly of generally verticallydisposed tubes each adapted to accommodate a golf club, the assemblybeing attached to the carrier post thus replacing a conventional golfbag. The assembly also includes a tube adapted to carry a supply ofballs and provided with a ball dispensing means. This tube is furtherprovided with a removable two-section compartment for carrying tees,change, tickets and the like.

' The primary object of the present invention is thus to provide a lightWeight golf club and ball carrier attachment for golf carts, the carrierhousing the clubs individually and being provided with a convenient balldispensing means. a

This and other objects of the present invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich: a

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier embodying the presentinvention and shown installed upon a conventional club cart. 7

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the carrier of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the carrier of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view partially in section showing a portion of thecarrier of the present invention.

Referring initially to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a conventional golfcart including a central post having an inclined upper portion providedwith a hand grip 11. Centrally upon the post 10 there is mounted a wheelstructure which includes the inclined members 12 supporting rubber tiredwheels 13. The wheels supporting structure is secured to the centralportion of the post 10 by a hinge 14. It will be understood that thestructure so far described is conventional and the hinge support for thewheel structure permits folding the wheels into a stowed position whenthe cart is not in use.

The golf club and ball carrier of the present invention includes a baseplate 16 encircled by an aluminum band 19. A screw 18 extends throughthe band 19 and is threaded into a tapped hole in the side of the post10.

Extending upwardly from the base plate and disposed within the band 19are a series of aluminum tubes 22 which are of various lengths and areeach adapted to receive the shaft of a golf club. One of the tubes 23,located at the front of the array, is adapted to hold and dispense golfballs as will subsequently be described.

Bolts 24 extend through the band 1? and are threaded into the adjacentones of the tubes 22, thereby fastening the band to the tubes. As may beseen in Fig. 2, the base plate 16 is provided with apertures 26 toprovide drainage for the tubes. At their base ends the tubes in each ofthe three parallel banks of tubes may be welded together and screws 29,extending through the base plate and into the weld metal, serve tosecure the base plate to the tube assembly.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the tubes have interposed therebetween andadjacent their upper ends are abutting spacer plates 27 and 27a. Thetubes and plates are held in assembled relation by means of an upperband 28 which is clamped to the post 10 by means of bracket 30 and bolts29. The clamping structure is disposed to the rear of the cart post 10and elfectively binds the tubes to the post. The spacer plates 27 and27a are proportioned so that the tubes are spread apart somewhat,thereby inclining the axes of the outer tubes away from the central rowof tubes. This disposition of the tube provides added convenience inremoving or replacing golf clubs in the tubes.

The tube 23 and its golf ball storing and dispensing feature will now bedescribed with reference to Figs. l4. As may be seen in Fig. 4, the tube23 houses a coiled compression spring 31 which bottoms on the base plate16. At its upper end the spring rests against a movable piston 32 havingsidewardly extending pins 33 protruding therefrom. The pins extendthrough diametrically opposed, longitudinal slots in the tube 23 andprovide a means for manually lowering the piston 32 within the tube andalso provide a visual indication of the piston within the tube.

Spaced somewhat above the uppermost position of the piston, the tube 23has an aperture 34 sized somewhat larger than a golf ball. The apertureis provided with a suitable cover 36 which may be formed of a materialsuch as transparent, and somewhat flexible Lucite or the like, the coverbeing slidable along the tube to open and close the aperture 34. Justabove the aperture 34 the tube 23 is provided with a transversepartition 37.

As will be evident from Fig. 4, the assembly is such that golf balls,indicated at 38, may be positioned in stacked relation above the piston32. The portion of the tube 23 extending beyond the partition 37receives a tubular container 38A having a removable base 39 and atransverse central partition 41. The upper end of the tube 23 is closedby a snap-on cover 42. The tubular container 38A is thus provided withan upper compartment 43 and a lower compartment 44, access to the lowercompartment being accommodated by removal of the container 33A from thetube 23. The compartments 43 and 44 may be utilized to carry tees,change, tickets and the like.

As previously mentioned, the required golf clubs may be inserted intothe ends of the tubes 22 and golf balls may be dispensed from the tube23 through the aperture 34 upon removal of the aperture cover 36 fromthe aperture. The pins 33 give a visual indication as to when the lastball in the tube is positioned in the aperture' 34 and also provide ameans whereby the piston may be lowered in the tube to permit loadingthereof. To load the tube 23, the piston 32 may be moved downwardly bymeans of the pins 33 and the desired number of balls inserted into theaperture 34. Release of the piston then will urge the balls upwardly inthe tube 23 and will present the balls one by one at the aperture 34from whence they may be manually removed for use.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the golf club and ballcarrier of the present invention is of relatively simple constructionand is easily and conveniently assembled. The tubes, upper and lowerhands, and plates are formed of aluminum and the entire assembly is thusbroad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf. club and ball carrier adapted for attachment to the centralpost of a golf cart, said carrier comprising a series of tubes arrangedin side by-side relation, each of said tubes having a drainage aperturein a lower end thereof, a base plate on which said tubes are bottomed,

- a lower band encircling the base portions of said tubes,

spacer plates and an upper band disposed adjacent the upper ends of saidtubes and adapted to hold said tubes out of engagement with each other,whereby the axes of and adapted to underlie a stack ofballsraccommodated in said one tube, a compression spring within saidone tube urging said piston upwardly, a ball dispensing aperture in theside Wall of said one tube, said piston thereby feeding balls to thelevel of said aperture for removal therethrough, and an element carriedby said piston and extending through an accommodating slot in said onetube, whereby said piston may bemanually lowered for loading. '1'

3. A golf cluband ball carrier adapted for attachment to the centralpost of a golf cart, said carrier comprising a series of tubes arrangedin side-by-side relation, a base 1 plate on which said tubes arebottomed and means holding said tubes in engagement at their base,spacer plates said tubes are inclined outwardly from base to top, meansi for fixing said upper band to the central post of a golf cart, apiston movable within one of said tubes and adapted to underlie a stackof balls accommodated in said one tube, a compression spring within saidone tube urging said piston upwardly, a ball dispensing aperture in theside wall of said one tube located just above the position assumed bysaid piston when said spring is uncompressed, and a removable closurefor said aperture, said piston thereby feeding balls to the level ofsaid aperture for removal therethrough, and an element carried by saidpiston and extending through an accommodating slot in said one tube,whereby said piston may be lowered for loading and the position of saidpiston within said one tube maybe visually ascertained from the exteriorof the -tomed, a lower band encircling the base portions of said tubes,spacer plates and an upper band disposed adjacent the upper ends of saidtubes and adapted to hold said tubes out of engagement with each other,whereby the a golf cart, a piston movable within one of said tubes axesof said tubes are inclined outwardly from base to top, 7

.means for fixing said upper band to the central post of disposedadjacent the upper ends of said tubes and adapted to hold said tubes outof engagement with each other, whereby the axes of said tubes areinclined outwardly from base to top, means for fixing said upper band tothe central post of a golf cart, a piston movable within one of saidtubes and adapted to underlie a. stack of balls accommodated in said onetube, resilient means within said one tube urging said piston upwardly,a ball dispensing aperture in the side wall'of said one tube and aremovable closure for saidaperture, said piston thereby feeding balls tothe level of said aperture for removal therethrough.

' 4. A golf club and ball carrier comprising a series of tubes arrangedin side-by-side relation, means for fixing said tubes to the centralpost of a golf cart, a base plate on which said tubes are bottomed andmeans holding said tubes in engagement, a piston movable within one ofsaid tubes and adapted to underlie a stack of balls aocommodated in saidone tube, a compression spring within saidone tube urging said pistonupwardly, a ball dispensing aperture in the side wall of said one tubelocated just above the position assumed by'said piston when said springis uncompressed, and a removable closure for said aperture, said pistonthereby feedingballs to the level of said aperture for removaltherethroughJ References Cited in' the file of this patent V V UNITEDSTATES PATENTS

